Doll Trunks: A Miniature Reflection of the Grown-Up World
A Learning Toy Inspired by Adult Trunks

Doll trunks are authentic miniature travel trunks, designed for children from the 19th century onward. They share the same design features as large trunks: a wooden frame, canvas or paper lining, hardware, handles, and sometimes even functional locks. These delightful objects had a dual purpose, depending on their size:

1. The Wardrobe Trunk for Doll Play

Some doll trunks, usually the larger ones, were designed as doll wardrobes. They opened onto a compartmentalized interior, with:

A wardrobe side (with a rod and miniature hangers)

A chest of drawers for storing accessories, shoes, hats, or toiletries

Sometimes a mirror and finishes worthy of a real piece of furniture

These trunks allowed children—especially little girls from wealthy backgrounds—to learn how to tidy, dress, fold, and organize... like their mothers. They were an educational toy but also a socialization tool.

2. The trunk-chest for storing a doll or even smaller ones for the doll

Other models, simpler and often smaller, were used solely to transport or store a doll and her few personal belongings. The doll was placed inside, lying down, with her clothes, hat, and small items.

These trunk-chests allowed the doll to be protected, taken on trips, or carefully stored at home, in a spirit that was already very bourgeois and focused on taking care of personal belongings. Role-playing on a child's scale

Doll trunks were much more than just a toy: they encouraged children to imitate adult gestures, to learn the rules of tidying, caring, and traveling. In an era when dolls often represented a future maternal role, these trunks were as much a tool for social education as an object of pleasure.
Sought-after collectibles

Today, antique doll trunks are highly prized by collectors. Their charm stems as much from the finesse of their craftsmanship as from their sentimental value.